‘We will not allow Turkish Armenians to be treated as second-class citizens,’ vows Erdogan
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says that the disaffection of Armenian citizens in Türkiye will not be tolerated as he sends a letter to Patriarch Masalyan of the Turkish Armenians on April 24
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan maintained that the Turkish Armenians would not be treated as second-class citizens in his letter to Patriarch Masalyan of the Turkish Armenians on the commemoration of April 24, remembering the alleged “Armenian Genocide” of 1915.
“We have not allowed and will not permit the marginalization, exclusion or the feeling of being second-class citizens of even a single Armenian citizen of ours,” the president vowed.
‘We share common sorrows’
President Erdogan recalled that Turks and Armenians experienced the everyday sorrows of World War I. “Today, once again, we respectfully offer condolences to the grandchildren of the Ottoman citizens of Armenian descent who lost their lives under the adverse conditions of World War I. I also extend my condolences to all members of the Ottoman society who lost their lives because of conflicts, rebellions and gang wars,” the president said.
‘We do not tolerate the alienation of our Armenian citizens’
The Turkish president asserted that the marginalization of citizens of Armenian origin would not be tolerated.
“We have not allowed and will not permit even a single Armenian citizen of ours to be marginalized, excluded,” Erdogan emphasized.
What happened in 1915?
During the intense days of World War I in 1915, the Ottoman State fought enemies on various fronts. Simultaneously, separatist Armenians in Eastern Anatolia, in collaboration with the Russian Czars, rebelled and committed massacres against the people of the region.
The Ottoman State, facing wartime challenges and national security concerns, decided to relocate Armenians as a measure to safeguard its interests. Despite the difficult wartime conditions, the Ottoman State took maximum measures to ensure the safety of Armenians during this relocation process.
During the relocation, particular gangs reacted to the Armenian atrocities and attacked the migrating Armenians.
Source: Newsroom
